Move of the Week: The Hitchhike

You will never be without a lift with the hitchhike move, a travelling step which uses the classic thumb signal for hitching a ride.

The footwork is a simple step behind, so your travelling backwards. Its good to start by stepping back and bouncing. You need have a small pulse in each step you take.

Once you are comfortable with the pulse, add the swivel to your footwork. Each time you step back lift the heels out and when you place the foot, bring the heels in to create the swivel motion.

Interestingly a few of our students said they learnt to swivel through practicing this move.

Once the feet are moving in the right direction you can add the arms. When you travel, the same arms as leg is moving. So when you bring you right foot back, lift your right arm over your shoulder. The arms are moving as if your wiping your back with a towel.

You can also stylise the move by gently tilting the head of each move.

Move of the Week: The Hitchhike

You will never be without a lift with the hitchhike move, a travelling step which uses the classic thumb signal for hitching a ride.

The footwork is a simple step behind, so your travelling backwards. Its good to start by stepping back and bouncing. You need have a small pulse in each step you take.

Once you are comfortable with the pulse, add the swivel to your footwork. Each time you step back lift the heels out and when you place the foot, bring the heels in to create the swivel motion.

Interestingly a few of our students said they learnt to swivel through practicing this move.

Once the feet are moving in the right direction you can add the arms. When you travel, the same arms as leg is moving. So when you bring you right foot back, lift your right arm over your shoulder. The arms are moving as if your wiping your back with a towel.

You can also stylise the move by gently tilting the head of each move.

Charleston dancing swivels its way over to Ryde

Our Charleston dance school which was recently accepted onto the UK’s largest free accelerator hub, Entrepreneurial Sparks, will be swivelling it’s way to Ryde from 19 Feb.

MyCharleston, led by myself Elena Collins and Fiona Ring, was set up as a passion project after we became hooked on Charleston dancing. After teaching sellout classes back in our hometown Brighton, we realised the demand for the dance was bigger than we initially thought. 

In just under 6 months, we have launched our business in 5 new cities focusing on getting all age groups kicking and flicking across the dance floor.  

“When we set this up we had no idea we’d be expanding over seas” laughs Fiona. “Things have been moving at a giddy pace since we joined the Entrepreneurial Sparks programme.  Elena now works full time on the business and we have expanded along the South Coast recently launching in my hometown of Portsmouth”.

Since then the classes have gone from strength to strength and the latest expansion for MyCharleston is to the Isle of White. ’’Its not international but it is a leap from the mainland and we think Charleston will be a big hit on the Island as the dance offers so much: It’s great fitness, very sociable and chance to have a lot of fun’’

Classes start on 19th Feb at the Ryde Academy at 8pm. to find out more about classes near you and other events run by MyCharleston go to www.mycharlestondance.com